Control for a bathtub waste water drain

Abstract

A control for a waste water drain in the bottom of a bathtub which has an overflow port above the drain in the end wall of the bathtub has a vertical drain pipe having upper and lower ends. A first fluid port is located at the upper end of the vertical drain pipe and a second fluid port is located below the first fluid port for connection to a bathtub waste water drain. A valve element is slidably mounted in the vertical drain pipe adjacent the second port and is movable between a lower position to close the second port to fluid flow, and an upper position which will open the second fluid port to fluid flow. An overflow cap is rotatably mounted adjacent the first port. An elongated linkage connects the valve element to the overflow cap so that the rotation of the cap in one direction will raise the valve element to the upper position, and rotation of the cap in the opposite direction will lower the valve element to the lower position. The vertical drain pipe is length adjustable.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A control for a waste water drain in the bottom of a bathtub having an overflow fluid port above the drain in an end wall of a bathtub, comprising; 
       a vertical drain pipe having upper and lower ends,  
       a first fluid port at the upper end of the vertical drain pipe,  
       a second fluid port below the first fluid port for connection to a bathtub waste water drain,  
       valve element slidably mounted in the vertical drain pipe adjacent the second port and movable between a lower position to close the second port to fluid flow, and an upper position which will open the second port to fluid flow,  
       a plate having a threaded bore secured to the upper end of the vertical drain pipe,  
       an elongated pin having unthreaded inner and outer ends with a threaded center portion threadably mounted in the threaded bore of the plate,  
       an overflow cap mounted on the outer end of the pin, and  
       elongated linkage connecting the valve element to the inner end of the pin so that rotation of the cap and pin in one direction will raise the valve element to the upper position, and rotation of the cap in an opposite direction will lower the valve element to the lower position.  
     
     
       2. The control of claim  1  wherein the vertical drain pipe is length adjustable. 
     
     
       3. The control of claim  1  wherein the vertical drain pipe is comprised of upper and lower portions that are detachably secured to each other. 
     
     
       4. The control of claim  3  wherein a lower end of the upper portion is slidably received within an upper end of the lower portion, and a rotatable slide lock means detachably holds the upper and lower portions in locked relation to each other. 
     
     
       5. The control of claim  4  wherein a seal ring is slidably mounted on the lower end of the upper portion and is engagable with the upper end of the lower portion to seal the upper and lower ends of the lower and upper portions, respectively, together when the rotatable slide lock means creates a locking relation to the upper and lower portions. 
     
     
       6. The control of claim  1  wherein the linkage includes a length adjustable gauge to permit the operational length of the linkage to be length-adjustable. 
     
     
       7. The control of claim  6  wherein the gauge includes an indicia bracket with indicia marks thereon threadably mounted upon one end of a threaded link so that upon the installation of the control, threaded displacement of the link with respect to the gauge can be visually ascertained from indicia marks on the gauge. 
     
     
       8. The control of claim  7  wherein the gauge includes an elongated slot with indicia marks being located adjacent the slot, a threaded nut mounted adjacent to one end of the slot with the one end of the link extending through the nut, and one end of the link being visible through the slot for permitting the amount of longitudinal displacement of the link to be visually ascertained by reference to the indicia marks and the one end of the link. 
     
     
       9. The control of claim  1  wherein the linkage is eccentrically pivotally secured by an upper end to the cap, and pivotally secured by a lower end to the valve element. 
     
     
       10. The control of claim  9  wherein the linkage has a pivotal connection between its upper and lower ends. 
     
     
       11. The control of claim  1  wherein the valve element is a cylinder slidably mounted in the vertical drain pipe. 
     
     
       12. The control of claim  11  wherein the cylinder is hollow so as to always permit fluid flow downwardly through the vertical drain pipe. 
     
     
       13. The control of claim  1  wherein a space exists between the cap and the first port so that fluid can pass through the space and the first port to the interior of the vertical drain pipe. 
     
     
       14. The control of claim  1  wherein the valve element is hollow so as to always permit fluid flow downwardly through the vertical drain pipe. 
     
     
       15. The control of claim  1  wherein the elongated linkage is eccentrically secured to the pin so that when the overflow cap is rotated, vertical movement will be imparted to the elongated linkage. 
     
     
       16. The control of claim  15  further including stop elements so positioned to permit the overflow cap to be rotated to raise or lower the elongated linkage so that the valve element can be moved between the open and closed positions. 
     
     
       17. A drain closure control and a bathtub comprising 
       a bathtub having an interior end wall with interior and exterior ends, and a bottom drain,  
       a fluid overflow port in the end wall above the bottom drain,  
       a vertical drain pipe having upper and lower ends extending downwardly from the overflow port on the interior side of the end wall to a position below the bottom drain,  
       a substantially horizontal drain pipe extending from the bottom drain to the vertical drain pipe and being in fluid communication therewith,  
       a drop cylinder slidably mounted in the vertical drain pipe adjacent the juncture between the horizontal drain pipe and the vertical drain pipe and being movable between a lower position which closes the horizontal drain pipe, and an upper position which will allow fluid to flow through the horizontal drain pipe and thence downwardly into the vertical drain pipe,  
       a plate having a threaded bore secured to the upper end of the vertical drain pipe,  
       an elongated pin having unthreaded inner and outer ends with a threaded center portion threadably mounted in the threaded bore of the plate,  
       an overflow cap mounted on the outer end of the pin and covering the overflow port,  
       elongated linkage connecting the drop cylinder and the inner end of the pin so that rotation of the overflow cap in one direction will raise the drop cylinder to the upper position, and rotation of the overflow cap in the other direction will lower the drop cylinder to the lower position.